Visible reservoir humidifier for containers



June 8, 1948. F. A. KRAUSE 2,443,139

VISIBLE RESERVOIR HUMIDIFIER FOR CONTAINERS Filed July- 9, 1943 Patented June 8, 1948 oFFlcE VISIBLE RESERVOIR HUMIDIFIER FOR CONTAINERS Frederick A. Krause, Hinsdale, lll.

Application July 9, 1943, Serial No. 494,055

l This invention relates to humidifiers and particularly to an inexpensive form of humidifier .for use with containers for various kinds rof merchandise and materials requiring humidity.

This applicant appreciates that many forms of humidifiers have been made for maintaining humidity conditions in show cases, tobacco containers, etc., and that the art is replete with devices of this character. However, the present invention is directed to a very denite kind of humidifier, namely, a humidier for opaque containers, sucli as the `common forms of cans and cartons used in the shipment and storage of various kinds of merchandise and materials which require controlled humidity conditions to maintain their strength of quality.

As an example, the shuttlecocks used in the popular game of badminton are made of cork and feathers. These shuttlecocks are merchandised by the dozen in round cartons such as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 herein. These shuttleclocks deteriorate very rapidly when allowed to dry out. In fact, dried out shuttlecocks, `even when new, will last ,only a small fraction of the life of a properly humidied shuttlecock.

Now to maintain such merchandise in proper condition with ordinary humidifying devices during the shipment and while on the shelves of the merchant and even in the hands of the consumer involves widely variable factors of Weather, humidity conditions, temperatures and times that are beyond the practical control of the merchants and customers. Under ordinary conditions, people simply will not open up cartons of this character, investigate an interior humidity control device and take the necessary steps to protect the merchandise.

It is the particular object of the present invention to provide a humidifier for opaque containers, having a visual water reservoir element having an adjustable interior humidifier element arranged to keep the merchandise in properly humidied condition as long as water is visible in the reservoir.

Other objects and benefits will be disclosed in the following descriptions and drawings in which- Fig. 1 is a broken elevation view of a round carton container for shuttlecocks, showing my visual water reservoir and humidifying element;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view oi the carton container with humidifier shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional elevation view of another form of my novel humidifier as applied to a can lid;

3 Claims. (Cl. 299-24) Fig. 4 is cross sectional elevation View of an other form of my humidifier as applied to the top of a container.

Referring to the drawings, and at the outset, particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, I show a` special round carton III with removable cap members Ia and Illb. This is the carton heretofore refferred to in the specifications for packaging shuttlecocks used in the game of badminton. The top ofthe lid Illa has a round perforation I I to receive'a transparent water reservoir member I2, extending above the lid and resting upon the lid by the flange member I3. The bottom of the reservoir member I2 is closed by a lmetallic cup member I4 bearing against a rubber washer I5. The cup member I4 is iilled with a porous shallow member I6, made of plaster of Paris or similar material selected to provide proper evaporation of moisture from the reservoir I2 into the interior of the carton I0. The plaster of Paris member I6 is held within the cup I4 by a lower washer I1 and is retained in sealed position by the thumb screw member I8 threaded into the boss I9 of the reservoir I2. An opening |40 in the cup I4 is arranged to provide the proper amount of water seepage into the porous evaporator member I6 and the exposed section of the evaporator member I6 below the rim of the cup I4 is adjusted and arranged to provide proper evaporation into the container. The associated reservoir member I2, with its evaporator member I B is held in the cap Illa by a conventional steel snap ring 20 which locks the assembly in the opening II by co-action of the snap ring 2li with the ange I3.

It will be appreciated that by the above construction, I have provided an inexpensive form of humidifier which may be applied to the lid of a carton as illustrated, with the water reservoir plainly visible to indicate the presence of water in the reservoir and proper humidity control for the contents of the carton. It will be appreciated that the structure thus provided does not depend upon great structural strength of the carton but in its unitary form may be eilectively retained in cheap cartons, to provide a visible reservoir humidier for containers of this character.

Now referring to Fig. 3, I show another form of visible reservoir humidier, the same being applied to a conventional metallic ycap for cans. The metallic cap 2l has a central round perfora tion 2Io and over this perforation, I mount a transparent water reservoir member 22. This reservoir is firmly held in position by drawing the ange 23 downward into sealing contact with form of my humidifier as applied to a can top Y,

28. The top 28 is provided with a central open'- ing 28o on which I mount a special lovv formfof I transparent reservoir 29. It will be noted that` l this reservoir element is below the, top o f `the can and thereby the reservoir is protected by the ange of the can which is advantageous under some conditions. The reservoir element 29 is closed by a steel cup member 3U filled With'porous evaporator material 3l, held in position by a bottom Washer v32, the entire evaporator assembly beingr sealed by cal-p screws 34, screwed' into bosses 35 to compress the rubber' seal-ring 33 andl thus close the evaporator reservoir. Proper evaporationfrom thisv reservoir isprovided by holesl 30o in the cup member 3B and holes 32o in 'the Washer 32. It 'Will yloe appreciated that by varying the size of these holes, p-roper'humid-` ity conditions may be adjusted and controlled.. The transparent reservoir 29 4has a 'depressed central sealer boss 43 andis. closed-ina Vconventional manner by the knurledscrew 44 and the Washer 45. The entire evapora-tori"assembly is held in the V'opening 28o by the fsnap' ring 46and the'fiange29'a. I l

In the foregoing description andv drawings, I have shown Iseveral variations of my visible reservoir humdier, and it WillY be appreciated that many other variations are possible. However, Iv do not Wishv to `be limited in any Way by' the' disclosure except as such limitations `are imposed by the followingy claims.

1 I no'w claimas new: 1. A detachable humidier'umt for'acontainer having a rigid cover with 'an opening-therein adapted to receive the humidifier unit, comprising a transparent liquid reservoir, meansprojecting yfroml the periphery of said reservoir, a cup in open communication with the reservoir, a porous evaporator member in communica-tion with thecupf, means for' removably attaching thereservoir,'the lcup and the evaporator member to one another',V and asnap ring'A circumferentially carried by the reservoir positioned to detachably 4 hold the cover of the container between said peripherally projecting means and the lsnap ring.

2. A detachable humidifier unit for a container having a rigid cover with an opening therein adapted to receive the humidifier unit, comprising a circular transparent liquid reservoir, a

ange extending circumferentially around the outer periphery of the reservoir, a cup in .open communication with the reservoir, Aagporous evaporator member in communication with the cup,r means for removably attaching the reservoir, the cup andthe evaporator member to one another,

and a snap ring circumferentially carried by the reservoir positioned to hold the cover of the container kbetween the iiange on the reservoir and thev snap ring to detachably hold the humidifier unit in the opening in the cover.V

3.V In a humidifier unit adapted to `be positioned detachably in an opening in a supporting member the combination ofl'a detachable humidier unit disposed in `the opening l inv the 'supporting member, said unitfcomprisinga transparentiliq-J uid reservoir, f a angeA extending Ycircurni'erentially around Athe Vouter periphery of the vreservoir; a'

FREDERICK A. KBA-USE," Y

Y .REFERENCESCITED "The following refere iile-of'this patent: K y

UNITED STATES PATENTS Q. f

ces are offrecord 

